Fossil Scm

Description: Fossil SCM skill for distributed version control, integrated task tracking, and streamlined project management in a single unified repository system.

Fossil SCM Skill

Fossil requirements

If fossil is not installed, install it using Homebrew brew install fossil or ask human for help:

Description

This skill enables you to work with Fossil SCM as a unified system for:

• Version control (commits, branches, merges)
• Task tracking (tickets)
• History exploration (timeline, diff)
• Lightweight project management

Fossil is a distributed version control system that integrates:

• Git-like versioning
• Built-in ticketing
• Built-in wiki
• Web UI and timeline

Use this skill whenever you need to:

• Track code changes
• Manage tasks
• Understand project history
• Coordinate development work

When to use this skill

Use Fossil when:

• You need to persist changes in a repository
• You are modifying code or project files
• You want to track progress via tickets
• You need to inspect history or diffs
• You are working on a project with versioning

⚠️ Mandatory Pre-Work Step

Before performing any work in a repository, you MUST always run:

fossil update

This ensures:

• Your working copy is up to date
• You are not working on stale or conflicting state
• All latest changes are applied before modifications

Rule:

• No operation (edit, add, commit, branch, etc.) should happen before fossil update
• This applies to all workflows without exception

Core Concepts

Repository

A Fossil repository is a single .fossil file containing:

• source code history
• tickets
• wiki
• metadata

Timeline

The timeline shows:

• commits
• merges
• ticket changes

Tickets

Tickets are built-in tasks:

• title
• description
• status
• priority

Actions

1. Repository Management

• Initialize repository (if doesn't exist): fossil init <repo.fossil>
• Open repository: fossil open <repo.fossil>
• Clone repository: fossil clone <url> <repo.fossil>

2. Working with Files

• Add file: fossil add <file>
• Remove file: fossil rm <file>

3. Version Control

• Check Changes: fossil changes
• Commit changes: fossil commit -m "<message>"
• View history: fossil timeline
• View differences: fossil diff
• Update working copy: fossil update

4. Branching

• Create branch: fossil branch new <branch-name>
• Switch branch: fossil update <branch-name>

5. Tickets (Task Management)

• Create ticket: fossil ticket add title "<title>" description "<desc>"
• List tickets: fossil ticket list
• Update ticket: fossil ticket change <id> status <status>
• Close ticket: fossil ticket close <id>

6. Exploration

• View timeline: fossil timeline-n 20
• View artifact: fossil artifact <hash>

Agent Behavior Guidelines

• Always run fossil update before any work in a repository
• Always create commits for meaningful changes
• Use tickets to track tasks before implementation
• Prefer small, atomic commits
• Use branches for experimental or risky work
• Keep commit messages clear and descriptive

Workflow Patterns

Feature Development

1. Run fossil update
2. Create ticket
3. Create branch
4. Implement changes
5. Commit frequently
6. Merge into main

Bug Fix

1. Run fossil update
2. Identify issue
3. Create ticket
4. Fix issue
5. Commit with reference to ticket
6. Close ticket

Exploration

1. Run fossil update
2. Use timeline
3. Use diff
4. Inspect artifacts

Safety Rules

• NEVER delete repositories without confirmation
• NEVER overwrite history unless explicitly required
• AVOID force operations unless necessary

Notes

• Fossil is a single-file repository system
• ALWAYS open repository before any work: fossil open <repo.fossil>
• It supports distributed workflows without central servers